


Coffee Shops and Soulmates

by UNCPanda



Category: Law & Order: SVU, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/M, Romantic Soulmates, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-05
Updated: 2019-08-12
Packaged: 2020-04-08 07:53:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19102876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UNCPanda/pseuds/UNCPanda
Summary: All you'd wanted was a cup of coffee and possibly more sleep, instead you got a soulmate in the form of a sassy and well dressed ADA. You may be out of your depth. . .





	1. Chapter 1

Your leg bounces as you wait at the designated table. Your head is throbbing and you want nothing more than to be at home fast asleep. But the chances of that happening are slim to none. You barely resist the urge to go and grab someone else’s cup of coffee. You’d already had three and another one was on its way. 

The bell on the door jingles and your eyes focus on the man who enters. He’s older than you, dressed in what has to be an expensive suit, and is focused solely on making it to the counter to order his beverage of choice. Your eyes linger on him until your companion slides into her seat. 

Gwen is typing away on her phone, muttering to herself, and attracting the glances of everyone who passes her. You know for a fact that her mind is going a mile a minute as she tries to write down every thought that pops into her head. She types one more thing, and then finally sets her phone down. “I hate work.” 

“I hate mornings.” 

“That has to be the biggest cliche you could have gone with.” 

“I could have brought up a picture of a Disney character saying it on my phone.”

Gwen shrugs, “Drinks have been ordered. It should only be another minute or so before you can fill your veins with even more caffeine.” 

“I would scowl at you, but I’m too tired.” 

“Just make sure you wake up in time. The train arrives in another hour and we will NOT be late.” 

You lean back in your seat and stare at your friend. It had been a little over eight months since the two of you had uprooted your lives to move to New York. Both yours and Gwen’s parents had begged you not to do it, but you’d both been unattached and now seemed like the perfect time. You’d found a small two bedroom apartment, combined your stuff and moved in together, and relied on over ten years of friendship to help you live together. 

“Has anyone ever told you you’re a little high strung?” 

“You, once a month, for the past ten years.” 

“Just wanted to make sure.” 

Your name is called out and you go to retrieve your cup of coffee only to find three waiting for you. You shoot a glare back at Gwen who’s doing her best to look innocent. “This is wasteful.” 

“I thought we could put it into an IV to make sure you keep going. Don’t want you falling behind.” 

You roll your eyes, while considering the idea of a coffee IV, and grab one of the cardboard containers. Gwen meets you at the door and grabs her cup. She takes a long sip   
before pushing the door open and allowing a man in. That’s when you realize your purse is still at the table. Gwen takes the tray and heads back outside as you head back to the table. That’s when you see the gun. 

Your first thought, as the man brandishes his gun, is that nothing good ever happens early in the morning. Your second, as you’re pushed backwards into the store, is that this robber is hitting every cliche in the robbers handbook. Your third thought, as the robber points his gun as the cashier, is that your parents can never know about this, because they will pack you up, kidnap you, and move you back home. 

Your fourth thought comes as police sirens sound down the block, and the robber shoots the gun into the air as though he’s in the wild, wild west, yelling at everyone to get down; this is not going to end well and you’re glad that Gwen made it outside. And then you feel sorry for her because she’s probably going to be the one who has to explain this to your parents if you die. And that is not a task you wish on anyone.

He crowds everyone into a corner, you’re jostled as you’re forced into the crowd, and initial shot of adrenaline that came with your first sight of the gun is vanishing. You feel a bit dizzy and fear is starting to claw at your throat. He shoots the gun again and the woman beside you freaks, you’re pushed sideways into the well dressed man you had noticed earlier. 

His hand reaches out to steady you, and as skin to skin contact is made you feel it. An intense burning runs up the underside of your right arm. You bite your lip to keep from crying out, attention would be a bad thing right now. The hand releases your arm only to wrap around you, and drag you behind others. 

He’s not saying anything and neither are you, because this freaking hurts! You can feel the name carving itself into your flesh, you feel something inside of you tug and then it starts to burn, and you finally cry out. His echoes yours a moment later, and you can hear the word being thrown around, you can hear it being used as a plea: Soulmates.

You can faintly hear the sound of sirens through the pain, and you whimper as his grip on you tightens, your eyes remain firmly closed. He says something in Spanish, it’s gritted out through the pain, and meant to be comforting. Your hand scrambles to hold onto something, and eventually your fingers dig into the fabric of his shirt. 

You’re feeling physically ill at this point, and do your best to keep the bile down. There’s one more gunshot and then more voices, before you finally pass out. 

You wake up in a hospital room more than a little confused. You’re dressed in your clothes, but not the clothes you had put on this morning, and your hair has been pulled back into a braid, which you know you didn’t do. You’re horrible when it comes to doing your hair and this has the distinction of Caroline’s handy work. A bit of conversation with Gwen about coffee in an IV comes back to you from that morning. You hadn’t actually taken her seriously . . . had you? 

You sit up in bed, your limbs are stiff, and your head hurts a bit from your pair being pulled back, you carefully reach back to undo it and that’s when you see it; written in a permanent black in a crossover of cursive and chicken scratch is the name Rafael Barba, and everything comes rushing back.


	2. Chapter 2

You’re halfway out of the hospital bed when Gwen comes in. She looks completely ticked off and ready to murder. “I can not believe you got involved in a freaking shoot out!” 

You grin at her, before she moves forward and grabs you into a hug so tight it hurts, “Don’t you ever scare me like that again.”

“It’s not like I was planning on it. Are you okay?” 

“I got out fine, called the police when I realized what was going on. They came in like swat, especially when they realized some ADA was in the shop, Barba something or other.” 

You freeze for a second before you fiddle with the IV still attached to your arm, “Guess I got lucky then.” 

Gwen raises an eyebrow, “Really. You’re not going to own it? His name is literally etched into your skin. I can see it.” 

You look your friend in the eye, “Is he okay?” 

She nods, “He woke up about three hours ago. Didn’t leave your side until some cops dragged him out for a statement. I know this because I wasn’t allowed in the room until he gave the okay. He wouldn’t let me come in but he’d let me bring you clothes. Bastard shut down every argument I tried to make.

“He let his mother in, and his friends in. But not me. We’re going to need to set him straight on that.” 

Your lips quirk, “Thanks for the clean clothes. Can you get the nurse so I can get this IV out?” 

“Already on her way. I heard you rustling around in here.” 

A sheet of silence falls between you two before she quietly says, “I can’t believe you found your soulmate.” 

You couldn’t either. Soulmates were a precious and rare thing in the world. The chances of finding the other half of your soul were astronomical most people didn’t even bother looking for them. While you had dreamed of him as a little girl, life had persuaded you that it wasn’t meant to be. And now. . . . here you were. 

By the time the nurse takes the IV out of your arm, you’re ready to leave. You can feel a headache building, and all you want to do is go home.

“It’s all over the news you know? Someone actually filmed the bond forming through all that crap. It’s already making waves through the TV stations.” 

“They always do.” It was a big deal any time someone found their soulmate and the news always made sure to ring each story for everything it was worth and people never got tired of those stories. “Can we just go home?” 

Gwen raises an eyebrow and stares at you as though you’re an idiot, “What part of soul-mate do you not understand?” 

“The part where my limbs feel like lead. I want a warm bath, sleep, and then a gallon of coffee.” 

“There is a wall of cops, lawyers, and politicians out there. It’s a circus.” 

“So . . . there’s no way to sneak out of here?” 

“Not that I know of.” 

You nod once, “Where’s Caroline?” 

“At our place. She has baby James with her and hospitals aren’t the best place for a baby’s immune system.” 

“Good call. Time to face the music I guess.” 

Gwen snorts, “You make it sound like you’re about to face the firing squad, not meet your soulmate.” 

You walk to the door with Gwen close behind you and open it. There isn’t a rush of people like you’re expecting, in fact the hallway is clear. You begin walking and Gwen links her arm with yours offering support. You come to the end of the hallway and to the opening of the waiting room and it’s filled with people. No one seems to notice you, and you take the chance to blend in with the crowd and hug the wall. 

Your eyes find him immediately. He’s in the center of the room, surrounded by people, a phone in one hand and a sandwich in the other. Every so often he takes a break to take a bite. You can hear bits and pieces: “Make sure he’s in protective custody. He’s going to trial and with the added charge of almost killing soulmates he’s looking at life in a cage, and I want to make sure he gets it.” 

A woman next to him smiles, “Wow Barba, finding your soulmate has made you go soft.” 

“Liv, he nearly killed her.” 

“You haven’t even had a conversation with her.” 

He looks down for a second, and then back up, “I can’t explain it, all I know is that I can feel her. That’s she’s mine, and I’m her’s.” 

You feel Gwen lean in, “Aww, that’s sweet, he’s a good talker.” 

You glance at her, “Shut up.” 

“OOHHH very witty.” 

You nudge her again and focus back on Rafael. He’s older than you by more than a few years, but he has this cocky confidence that you find interesting. Then there’s the way people look at him, filled with respect. 

“Rafael!” 

You watch as an older woman enters, and he smiles at her before addressing her with a soft Mami. A quick conversation takes place in Spanish before he points back  
towards the hallway and his eyes land on you. They go wide and before you can say anything everyone else’s eyes are on you and he’s striding towards you. He stops a few inches in front of you with a smile on his face and you know your world is never going to be the same again.


	3. Chapter 3

All eyes are on you, and you can feel the anxiety trying to take over, you stuff those feelings down and focus on the here and now. You release Gwen’s arm and look your soulmate in the eye, “Hi.” It’s not profound or new but it’s a greeting that’s worked for a good number of years. 

His smile grows, “Hi.” 

An awkward silence follows as the people around you strain to hear every word, and Gwen, God bless her takes them all on, “This is a hospital people not a zoo, so why don’t we give the two of them some privacy.”

You reach out and take his hand, and a feeling of warmth rushes through you as you lead him back down the hallway you’d just come from. He keeps step with you until you’re both safely back in the hotel room, and even then you don’t let go of his hand. 

“Just so you know, I didn’t plan for that to take place in front of all of them.” 

“I figured.” 

“I’m Rafael Barba.” 

You grin, “That would explain the name on my arm.” You show him your forearm, and the fingers of his free hand run over the lettering. 

When he’s done he twists his own arm where the cuff of his shirt has been rolled up, and your name is written in his skin, “I guess that means you’re “Y/F/N Y/L/N.” 

“Guilty as charged.” 

His head cocks to the side, “You did that on purpose.” 

“Little bit . . . So, where do we go from here?” 

He pauses for a minute, “How about food. I don’t know about you but I’m starving and food sounds amazing right now.” 

You slump in relief, you’re starving, “Agreed.” 

“I know a place.” 

“You know how to get out of here without being bombarded with questions, congratulations, and reporters.” 

“No, but I know how to handle them. It’s kind of part of the job.” 

You gather yourself, “I’ll follow your lead then.” 

He squeezes the hand, that he’s still holding, “We’ve got this.” 

You stay in step next to him, and the waiting room goes quiet when you step into it. The people part to let you through, and he stops at who you’re guessing is his mother and the woman he was talking to earlier. “Y/N, this is my mother Lucia Barba.” 

The woman smiles, “It’s so nice to meet you.” 

You smile back, “It’s nice to meet you too.” 

“And this is Olivia Benson. She runs the special victims unit in Manhattan, she also tend to pester me into madness.”  
You laugh at that and so does she, “It’s nice to meet you.” 

“You too.” 

Rafael rolls his eyes, “I’m on leave for an extended amount of time. I already talked to  
McCoy about it. So, no calls that are work related.” 

“Understood counselor.” 

He turns back to his mother, “Mami, I’ll call you later tonight.” 

She waves him off and reaches for your free hand, before leaning forward and kissing your cheek, “Welcome to the family. I’ll talk to you both soon.” 

Olivia stands and some other people come forward, “How about we help you two get out of here. We’ve got a squad car waiting.” 

The two of you handle your discharge paperwork quickly before you’re escorted into a  
media frenzy. Rafael pulls you into his side, as he continues to say no comment. And then one of the reporters grabs your arms and yanks. Immediately, there's a cop there yelling in the reporter’s face about assault charges. When you get in the car you slump into the seat

“Well that wasn’t fun at all.” 

He huffs a chuckle, “Usually they’re better behaved because they know I’ll press charges. How’s your arm.” 

“Fine. I’ve had worse rough housing with my brothers.” 

“You have brothers?” 

“Three. And I’m sure that when I finally check my phone, I’ll find miss calls from them, and everyone in town.” 

“Small town girl that moved to the big city?” 

“Yep. Small town in Connecticut. They threw a fit when I told them I was moving to the city.” 

“They’re not a fan?” 

“They call it a cesspool that is only slightly better than hell.” 

“Good to know.” 

“What about you? You grow up here?” 

“The Bronx, off of Jerome Avenue.” 

“A local then.” 

You fall into a comfortable silence after that, and you take the time to study him. His jaw is free of any stubble, his suit is expensive looking, his hair has a well defined cut and little specks of gray here and there. He’s handsome. And he’s also continued to hold your hand this entire time, while his thumb has stroked your skin back and forth.  
His lips quirk and it’s obvious you’ve been caught staring, your cheeks heat slightly when he asks, “Like what you see?” 

You answer honestly, “Yes.” 

He squeezes your hand as the car pulls to a stop, you thank the officer who had driven you before Rafael leads you into a small bar and the bartender greets him by name “I  
come here a lot, to do work and see something other than my office.” He explains. “We’ll have privacy here.” 

He leads you to a booth in the back and the two of you take up one side together. You don’t say anything until after you’ve ordered. “So, I suppose we should talk about the logistics of this and what we both want.” 

Your eyes flicker to him, “That sounds serious.” 

“It is.” He adjusts so that he’s facing you fully, “You’re my soulmate you deserve the truth. I work a lot. Often for long hours at a time. I’m late to a lot of things, and sometimes I get called away. I get very grumpy without coffee, and despite my job requiring a lot of early mornings I hate them. Sometimes a case will consume me. The things I see are some of the worst humanity has to offer, and I don’t like bringing it home.” 

“Trying to scare me away.” 

“No, I’m trying to be honest. I want you. I can’t explain it, but you’re . . . .a part of me. And the bond is only just forming, it hasn’t even snapped into place yet, and when that happens . . .” 

You’d hear the rumors of soulmates being able to feel each other through the bond, or talk telepathically to each other, or a variety of other things. And the only way they could  
get there was by spending time together, by choosing to be with each other. 

“Then you should know I’ll push right back. I work in publishing. I can work from anywhere and I tend to take advantage of that. More than once Gwen has actually stolen my laptop and hidden it until I’ve taken an actual break. I also won’t be ignored. You’re my soulmate. You have literally been burned onto my soul. You are my other half. You will come first for me, and I expect to come first for you.

“I also understand your work is important because mine is important to me. I won’t force you to share, and I respect not wanting to bring it home, but we are a partnership and I want to share your burdens.” 

His eyes narrowed, and then he smiles, “You can hold your own. That’s good.” 

You shrug, “I live with Gwen. Her picture is next to the definition of dominant personality in the dictionary.” 

“So, now that that is out of the way, let’s talk.”

You watch as the waiter places a glass of wine in front of you, you’re both silent until he walks away. You take a moment to take a sip. It’s only a little after five, but it had been a rough day. “What do you want to know?” 

“Everything.” 

You stare at him for a minute, “That’s a lot.” 

He shrugs, “I’ve already spilled my worst traits.” 

“Want to know mine?” 

“Why not?” 

“I’m a work-a-holic. I am a home-body. And I’m horrible when it comes to being on time. I also have a coffee addiction.” 

“All the best people do.” 

“Of course, it nearly got us killed this morning.” You point out. 

“It also ended with us finding each other.” 

“Ahh the bright side.” 

He reaches forward and move a strand of hair out of your eyes, “You’re my bright side.” 

You can feel your lips pull into a smile, as a blush heats your cheeks, "Very smooth Mr. Barba."

"Only for you."


	4. Chapter 4

“So, you said you have brothers?” 

You smile as he stuffs another bite of food into his mouth, the man hadn’t stopped eating since you’d arrived at the restaurant, then again neither have you. You swallow your food, “Three. All military. It’s the family business.” 

His eyes go wide, “Really?” 

“Yeah. The town I spent my later childhood is the one my mother grew up in. It’s where her family lives. When dad retired that’s where we moved to.” 

“You the baby.” 

“Yep. And my brothers never miss a chance to tell me how easy I have it compared to when they were growing up.” 

“On a scale of one to ten, how afraid of them should I be?” 

You shrug, “None. I know how to keep them out of my business. The fact that you’re a lawyer may also work in your favor.” 

“What about you? I know I met your mother, but . . .”

“Um. We’re a small family. It’s just my mother, grandmother, and myself. My father has been gone for over a decade.” 

You feel a twinge at the mention of his father and reach out to place your hand over top of his. A small smile makes its way onto his lips and he turns his hand around so that your fingers can intertwine. A feeling of warmth rushes through you at the contact and you find yourself squeezing just a bit tighter. 

He’s just about to say something when someone slides into the other side if the booth, “Mr. Barba. Ms. Y/L/N. What a coincidence running into you here.” 

You recognize the woman. She’s on more than one celebrity gossip news station talking about people’s lives and judging them. Your eyes flicker to Rafael. His face is devoid of any emotion and with a calmness you wished you possessed you watch as he throws money onto the table and says, “At the time we ask that everyone please respect our privacy, and other than that we have no comment.” 

He slides out of the booth, still holding your hand, catches the bar tender’s eye, and nods to the table. You slide out after him, and his hand releases yours so that his arm can wrap around your shoulders. You huddle into his side as you start walking at a brisk pace out of the restaurant, and into what can only be described as hell. Reporters are waiting, and the minute you’re outside they start yelling and snapping your picture. 

Rafael’s breath fans over your ear, “I’ve got you. We’ll be okay.” 

Sure enough, what seems like an eternity later, you hear sirens, and slowly the mob is forced back. “Hey there counselor. You need some help?” 

You look up to see Rafael roll his eyes and address the blonde man, “Hello detective. You just doing your job would be appreciated.”   
“Always a delight Barba, all right people, back up!” 

A moment later a blonde woman steps up, you recognize her from the hospital but can’t remember her name for the life of you. You’re once again rushed into the back of a car, and you can’t help but think you may see a pattern forming. The two detectives slide back into the car as hands pound against the window and more flashes go off.   
They pull off without a word, and the blonde haired man turns to you, “I’m Dominick Carisi, but everyone calls me Sonny.” 

You hear Rafael mutter under his breath, “No one calls him that,” and you bite the inside of your cheek to keep from laughing. 

“And that’s Amanda Rollins.” 

The blonde meets your gaze in the mirror and smiles. After a minute you ask, “And how did you know where we were?” 

Sonny answers, “1PP AND the DA’s office called they want the two of you watched until we can make sure both residences are protected and safe. Speaking of which, can we get your address.” 

This time Rafael mutters something in Spanish, and you can only assume it isn’t something flattering. You rattle off your address, and dig your phone out of your purse in order to give Gwen a heads up. 

“In the meantime, we’re taking you two to the station.” 

When Rafael lets out a groan, “How about my office instead.” 

“Nope. We’ve got orders.” 

“And we have free will and civil rights.” Rafael shoots back. 

Sonny smiles and faces forward again. The rest of the car ride is spent in silence. Rafael’s arm stays around you and you snuggle into his side and rest your head on his shoulder. The rocking of the car lulls you into a doze, but even with your eyes closed you can feel the press of Rafael’s lips against your forehead and you smile. 

Your eyes flash open to the sound of a camera and you smile at the sight of Sonny pointing his camera phone at the two of you. 

“Carisi. . . ” Rafael warns.

“It was too cute of a moment not to counselor. I’ll send it to you.” 

“Let’s go.” 

You follow Rafael out of the car and into the building. Your eyes flit around the building as Rafael leads you into the squad room and into a round of applause from every   
cop there. Olivia gets them to settle down, before leading the two of you back to her office. “Sorry about that. Everyone always gets so excited about soulmates.”

She smiles when the two of you sit down, close together, your hand on his knee and his arm wrapped around your shoulders, while his fingers played with the end of your braid. 

“What Liv?” 

“You two are just so cute!”

“Really Liv?” 

“Like a real life fairy tale. I’m fairly certain I’ve seen you smile more with Y/N here than I have in the past month.” 

“You exaggerate.” 

“Nope.” 

She says nothing else before she walks out of the office. WHen the door closes Rafael turns to you, “She exaggerates.” 

“That was tame compared to my brothers.” 

“Liv isn’t my sister.” 

You turn to face him, “Maybe not in blood, but something tells me that the same type of relationship exists.” 

He smiles, “I’m not willing to admit to it.” 

You laugh, “You will.”

You push off the couch and move to look out the window. As you walk you take out your braid, and shake your hair out. You feel some of the tension leave your body. You look out into the city, and notice the reporters gathering down at the bottom of the street. You watch Rafael come up behind you and his arms wrap around you. It feels natural, and warm, and loving. He presses another kiss to the crown of your head, and you allow yourself to just enjoy the moment.


	5. Chapter 5

You’re stuck at the precinct for several hours due to a case that comes through. You spend the time in Liv’s office with Rafael, and occasionally a detective comes in to ask for his advice, and you begin to see a hint of the work-a-holic he’s described himself as. He can’t help but help, and you find that admirable. 

You’re dozing on the couch, curled into Rafael’s side as his fingers run through your hair that’s been taken out of it’s braid. You’re two minutes away from sleep when Rafael says “Any and all the reading I’ve done on soulmates says it’s best if they stay as close to each other as possible. It allows them to get to know each other and gives the bond time to snap into place.” 

Your eyes flash open, “Are you asking me to move in with you Rafael?” 

He smiles, “I’m asking to spend time with you. Your place, my place, it makes no difference. What do you say?” 

You think about it for a minute and take stock of how you feel. You’re at peace with your anxiety nowhere to be found. You don’t feel self conscious around him, you’re not doubting yourself, and so far you can’t think of one thing you’ve done today that you’d like to take back . . . even the shooting because it’s led you to him. 

These feelings should scare you. You’ve known him a day, and despite his name being engraved on your arm, some evil little voice, the one that usually has you freaking out, whispers run. But then, his hands trail down your back soothingly, and you’re at peace again. 

Quietly you say, “I think your place. It will give Gwen a bit more room, and when Caroline and James leave on Monday she’ll be able to enjoy some peace and quiet.” 

Before you can freak out over you assumption that you’d be staying that long Rafael smiles, “Sounds good to me.” 

An hour later you and Rafael are finally allowed to leave. You’re dead on your feet, and Rafael seems much more coherent than he should be for having been awake for so long. The cops that had   
been assigned to keep watch of your apartment bring you a bag that Gwen has packed for you and Sonny is the one who drives you to Rafael’s apartment. 

Even in your exhausted state you marvel at the building. It’s tall and sleek, and very impressive. He carries your bag for you, and you find yourself leaning against him during the rude up in the elevator. He gently guides you into the apartment, and back to a room you can only assume is his, “So, I’m guessing it’s time for bed.” 

“Please.” 

“You take the bed, and I’ll take the couch.” 

You turn towards him, and finding the courage you usually lack you ask, “Stay?” 

He hesitates for a minute before nodding. You change into a tank top and sleep shorts and come back to find him in a pair of pajama pants and a faded Harvard tee-shirt. You climb into the bed, and slide under the covers, a second later Rafael slides in too and pulls you to him. You curl into his side and as you drift off you hear him whisper, “Goodnight mi vida.” 

You wake up in the morning to sunlight, and soft snores coming from Rafael. You smile at the small sounds he makes, before carefully scooting out of the bed. You grab your toothbrush from your bag, and brush your teeth, before sliding back into bed. You lay there for several minutes just studying your soulmate. You watch as his chest falls and rises, you study the few gray hairs peeking through the black, and look of peace is settled on his face. 

“How long have you been up?” Rafael’s voice is thick with sleep, and you can tell that he has no desire to wake up. 

“Not long.” And then, struck by a sudden wave of impulse you lean forward and kiss him. Your lips meet his, and he reacts immediately, as his hand threads through your hair. When you pull back he grins, “That is a much better wake up call than my alarm.” 

Ten minutes later you’re both out of bed, and you’re rummaging through an empty fridge, “How are you still alive? All that's here is take out, soy sauce packets, and that’s it.” 

“Yes, but I have an entire cabinet full of coffee.” The sound of the coffee machine starting echoes that sentiment, and your turn to him. “I am all for a fully caffeinated diet but that has to be combined with food.” 

He smiles at you, a cocky smile, that says he’s fully prepared for it, “We can order in. I’d say we could go out, but I’m betting the vultures are waiting outside.” 

You roll your eyes, “That works for this meal, but we need to go grocery shopping.” 

“Vultures.” he reminds you. 

“We’ll go in disguise.” you tease.

“I’ll get the glasses with the fake nose and mustache. You can wear a baseball cap and sunglasses.” 

You both burst into laughter at the silliness, and once again you’re reminded of how comfortable you are with him, and that annoying little voice, the one that tries to ruin everything, reminds you that nothing is ever perfect. 

Rafael’s arm encircles your waist, “You okay?” 

You nod, and push the thoughts as far out of your head as you can get them, and focus on this moment. This perfect moment.


	6. Chapter 6

You spend three days with Rafael before your little bubble is shattered. Rafael gets a call and you can feel the frustration run through him. You move from the couch to the kitchen where he’s cooking. You wrap your arms around him, as he rubs at his eyes. The second the phone call ends he places the phone on the counter and places his hands on top of yours. “That was work.” 

“I figured.” 

“They have a case that no other DA is willing to attempt.” 

You look up at him, “But something tells me you are.” 

“Maybe. It would depend on what they have.” 

“You want to go see. Don’t you?” 

“I do. I also want to stay here with you.” 

You go on your tiptoes and press a kiss to his cheek, “Go. See if you can get this person justice. I’m going to go home, make sure Gwen hasn’t turned my room into an office. It’ll also give me a little while to get some work done.” 

“I’ll call the precinct, and I’ll drop you off on my way to the office.” 

Thirty minutes later, a squad car pulls up in front of the building, and the two of you are escorted to the car. Despite the number of days the press outside Rafael’s building hasn’t lessened. The drive to your building has Rafael frowning. Your apartment isn’t located in the best part of town, you’ll admit that. When he sees the building he says, “No.” 

“Rafael . . .” 

“No. It’s not safe. There’s no doorman. There’s no safety features. I’m not leaving you here.” 

“Rafael. . .” 

“The squad gets called to buildings like this all the time Y/N . . .” 

“It’s not that bad.” 

“Yes. It really is. I don’t even want Gwen living here and she isn’t my soulmate.” 

You roll your eyes and get out of the car, relieved that the press isn’t here. Rafael follows, “I thought you were going to work.” 

“Not until I see this place.” 

He follows you up four flights of stairs, and listen as he keeps muttering no under his breath. When he sees the door and the one lock, the no’s come quicker. When he steps through the door he says “No, absolutely not. Do you know how easy it is to break in through the door.” You watch as he goes to the windows, “And these windows?” 

Gwen comes out at that point, she’s still dressed in her pajamas, “Why is your soulmate criticizing our apartment? In fact, what are you doing here?” 

“Rafael is on his way out, he’s going to go fight for someone no one else will.” 

“Still doesn’t explain why he’s bashing out apartment.” 

“He thinks it’s unsafe.” 

She rolls her eyes, “That’s why we don’t let our families visit.” 

Rafael turns to look at you, “Y/N. I’ve seen a lot of bad things, and I don’t want anything happening to you.” 

Gwen smiles and goes “AWWWW, he likes you.” 

He shrugs, and gently pulls you to him, “She’s right. I like you mi vida, and I will be back to pick you up at six.” 

“Good gives me time to pack some more clothes.” 

He pecks your lips, “Be safe.” 

“Have fun fighting for justice.” 

You watch him go, and lock the door behind him. Gwen shakes her head, “He’s got it bad.” 

You grin, “I know.” 

“So do you.” 

“I know.” 

“Can I have details?” 

“We’ve kissed. Done a little more than kissing. And we’ve talked a lot. He’s an amazing cook. We like the same movies too.” 

“Aww. That’s sweet.” There’s a moment of silence before she asks, “You happy?” 

“Yes. I’m happy.” 

“You talked to your parents?” 

You blanche, “No. I’ve sent reassuring texts, but no phone calls.” 

“It’s only a matter of time before they show up here.” 

“Maybe Rafael and I can get into witness protection?” 

Gwen rolls her eyes, and you walk towards your room, “I’m going to get some work done.” 

“Have fun.” 

Gwen heads off to work an hour later, and you spend the day working. At six PM on the dot there’s a knock on your door. You trudge away from your laptop and head out to find who it is.   
You see Rafael waiting on the other side. You open the door and let him in. He smiles, “Hey, you’re still alive.” 

“Yep the only thing that’s tried to kill me so far is paperwork.” 

He laughs and steps in, “You ready to go?” 

“Are you? You look tired.” 

He shrugs, “It’s a complicated case, but I think I may have a shot.” 

You grab your bag, making sure to grab your laptop, and say goodbye to Gwen. The two of you make your way back onto the street, where yet another squad car is waiting. “How long is the   
NYPD going to chauffeur us around?” 

“Until the media storm dies. Soulmates are a big deal, and I think they sort of like me there. At the very least I haven’t pissed them off too much.” 

You link arms with him, and he asks, “How about we go to dinner? We can go home and change, go to a very nice restaurant, and sneak back home afterwards.” 

“That sounds nice.” You peck his lips, happy that you packed one of your nicer dresses. The two of you are once again escorted into the building through the sea of reporters. You turn to Rafael, 

“How about I take the bathroom and you take the bedroom?”

“Sounds good.” 

You take your time, styling your hair, applying makeup and lotion. You slip into your black dress, a long, black Maxi dress with a floral pattern. You slip on a pair of heels and make your entrance.   
Rafael is waiting in a blue three piece suit. He smiles as he catches sight of you. “Mi corazón you look . . . stunning.” 

You straighten his tie and then you kiss him, “You look amazing too.” 

“Thank you. It feels good to dress up every once in a while. Shall we?” He offers you his arm and you take it. Together you sneak out of the apartment building, and hail a cab. You go to a very nice restaurant downtown. You’re escorted to a small table in the back where the two of you make eyes at each other like teenagers. 

“So, we lasted all of three days before I got called into work.” 

“It’s okay. I understand.” 

“Well. I set the case up for another counselor to take over. I gave them some advice and I think they’ll be able to handle it.” 

You cock your head to the side, “But you want to be there, don’t you?” 

He hesitates, and you cover his hand with your own, “Rafael. This is your passion. Don’t shy away from it.”

He’s quiet for a minute before he admits, “I don’t want to neglect you. I’ve done that before, let my work get in the way of relationships, and soulmate or not, I don’t want to do that to you.” 

You take a deep breath, “I’ll make you a deal. The minute I feel neglected I will tell you, and we’ll hole up in the apartment for an entire weekend.” 

He laughs, “That’s fair, but I’m also going to try and be more conscious of time.” 

You’re touched by the thought he’s put into this. You can tell it means a lot to him. You’ve just finished dinner when your phone rings, with Gwen’s number flashing on the screen. You give Rafael a sheepish smile before answering, “Gwen.” 

“I need you.” 

The panic in her voice has you going stiff, “What’s wrong?” 

“Someone broke into the apartment. They trashed it. I need you here.” 

“Okay. I’m on my way.” 

You look at Rafael, “We have to go. Now.”


End file.
